The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1887-12-18

Wake up" BE called Olt How dare
vou come heref How did YOU got nt Leave
the room or viii call fog help"
She raised her voice az the last words. u
produced no effect Leaning further over
the bld she boldly took the countess boy the
shoulder and shook her Not even this effort
succeeded IN rousng tue sleeping woman.
She still lay back IN the chair, possessed by d
torpor like the torpor Of charlottesville 20
sound. iusensihle 10 touch. Was she really
sleeping. Or had she tainted
Agnes looked cioser az her She had not
tainted Her breathing was audible, rising
and falling, in deep, heavy gasps. AT inter
va's she ground her teeth savagely. Beads Of
perspiration stood thickly on her forehead.
Her clinched hands rose and fell slowly from
time 10 time on her lap Was she IN the
agony Of a dream, OF was she spiritually con
scious Of something hidden in the roomi
The doubt involved in that last question
was uneudurable Agnes determined % rouse
the servants who kept watch N the hotel at
night
The bell handle vas fixed 10 The wall on the
side Of tine bed by which the table stood.
She raised herself from The crouching posi-
ton she had assumed m looking close at the
countess, and, turning toward the other side
Of the bed, stretched out hcg hand % ile he.L
At the same instant she stopped and looked
upward Her hand fell hclpc-s.y at her side.
She shuidercd, and sun. hAcs ODD tAe pillow.
What had She son.
She had seen another intruder boo ler room.
Midway between beer aud the ceiling there
lowered human heaa-,evercl al TIE neck
like q head struck from the body by the guill0.
tine
Nothing visible, nothing audible bad given
her warning Of its appearance. Silently and
suddenly. the head had taken iis place above
her so supernatural change had passed
over the room. or was percepttie in 30 now.
Tho dumby tortured figure in the chair. The
broad window opposite The foot Of the bed.
with the black night beyond b.. tie candle
burning on the fabe-ihese, and all other Oh
,ccts in the room. remained uualierei One
object more. unutterably horl.d had been
added tothe rest That was the only change
no more, no less.
By the yellow candle light she saw ihe head
distinctly lowering in mid air above hef. She
looked al 70 steadiwilv. speilbound by The
terror that held her
The flesh Of the face was gone The shllv-
eled skin was darkenei IN hue, Tie the skin
Of an Egyptian mummy-except az the neck
There 10 was Of lighter color. there Do
showed spots and spiashe- of the hue Of thar
brown $40; on ile ceiling which the cn.ias
lancifm terror had distorted ia.o le like
aess Of a spot of blood Thin re.l ies q a
iiscolored mustacle and whi,ken, hanging
over the upper lip and over the hollOWs
where the cheeks had once been. made tho
head just recognizable as the head Of man.
Over all The features death AMI time had done
heir celebrating WORK. Tie ,yehi, wera
closed. The hair on the skull, disc0lorci Ike
he hair ON the face. had been burned away
n place, The blush lips, parted boa a fixed
grin, showed the double row OF teeth. Ey
slow degrees the lowering head perfectly
till when She first saw % began 90 descend
coward Agnes a. she lay beneath. BY slow
iegiees that strange doubly blended oIQr
which the commissioners had discovered in
he vaults Of the old paiace-whIch had sick
ned Francis Wesimick ia the bed chamber II
he new hotel-spread IL ietid exlalailons
,ver the room Downward and downward
he hidoous spparitioH made IT, slow prog
'ess, until % stopped close over Agnes
topped and turned slowly so that The iace oi
confronted the upiumtd face Of tie woman
u the chain
After that there came pause Then a
uomcntaly animation disturbed the rigid re-
pose of tAe dead face. TIL. closed eyeilds
opened slowly The eyes revealed them
alye. bright with the CLASSY ilm ~ DEATH
iud hxcl their dreadful look on the woman
n the chair
Agnes saw tia. look. saw the reclining
woman rls, q, II in obedience 90 some dread
.0mmaug-aul saw no more.
Her next conscious impression was of the
mnligLt po4riue IN az the window. Of the
friendly presence Of Lady Montbarry al the
oedsde, and Of the children wondering faces
peeping ia at The door
CHAPTER XIII.
"You have some influence over Agnes. Try
what you can do, Henry. 10 make her take
eux,il. WON ~ fi. t,astxr Tiars IA really